The Aftermath
by Alice Brennan
Summary: "The battle of Hogwarts is over, and we're in the aftermath now." Luna says, "The battle brings death, but the aftermath brings anger and desperation and vengeance. Its where heroes are born, Neville. My dad always said, even with all the beasts in the world, there is nothing more dangerous than a witch or a wizard with nothing left to lose."


**Author's Note: Written for The Hunger Games Round three. Prompts: Word: Haven, Word Count: 1234, Dialogue: "It's the end of the world as we know it." AU: Voldemort wins, Emotion: Guilt**

"It's the end of the world as we know it." Neville said, watching as Luna positioned Snape's potions book on his chest. She had spent the last hour trying to mend the body as best she could.

"We're going to be fine." Luna said with more confidence than she felt.

After the battle of Hogwarts, everything changed. They had lost Harry, Ron, and the majority of the Order of the Phoenix. You-Know-who thought he had won. Luna didn't think so. The war wouldn't be over until there was no one left to stand up to him. She and Neville were left. In a small haven much deeper in the forest than they were now, a handful of rebels were left. They had survived losing their families and watching their friends die. Even though every breath they took ached in their chests, they still breathed. Even though their bodies were heavy with guilt and grief, they stood strong. Sometimes, it hurt just to wake up. Luna had fallen asleep too many times hoping she wouldn't have to wake up again without her mom, her dad, and the friends who had always been stronger and braver than her. She knew they were watching over her, but she missed them so much it hurt. She knew Neville and the others back at the haven felt the same way, but they still woke up and they still breathed and they were still going to fight for what they believed in.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Neville asked, struggling with his own doubts and fears. Sometimes, in his childhood, he had been more afraid of Snape than he was of you-know-who.

"He was on our side." Luna answered, trying to reassure him. "This is what Hermione was trying to do before…" Luna broke off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Yeah, but things are different now." Neville pointed out, "What if he switches sides when he finds out you-know-who won?"

"He won't." Luna replied, "He's just like us, really." Luna stood up to face Neville again, "He's lost everything he was fighting for. He lost Lily, and now Harry. He lost the life he had at Hogwarts. Like us, he has nothing left except for the fight. My dad always said, even with all the beasts in the world, there is nothing more dangerous than a witch or a wizard with nothing left to lose. The battle of Hogwarts is over, and we're in the aftermath now. The battle brings death, but the aftermath brings anger and desperation and vengeance. Its where heroes are born, Neville. If this works, Snape could be our best chance at stopping him for good."

Neville swallowed hard, but nodded. They had risked a lot to get Snape's body and his horcrux away from the ruins of Hogwarts. After risking all of that, it would be more reckless not to try to resurrect him.

"Are you ready?" Luna asked.

Neville didn't answer, but he handed her two small vials of blood, one from Luna, an ally, and the other from Nagini, an enemy. He also handed her a bone from the grave of Snape's father. He had faith in Luna. If Peter Pettigrew could resurrect you-know-who, the Luna could resurrect Snape.

Neville stood back as Luna began the ritual and opened a Dark Arts book. She flipped to the page Hermione had bookmarked with a leaf. The leaf she had used had already softened and was starting to fade. A tear fell from Neville's eye as he remembered that day.

Hermione had been so excited when she had found the resurrection spell. She'd said it could change everything for them. It had been the first time he had seen her smile since they had lost Harry and Ron. That night, the deatheaters had stumbled across their camp. They ran through the woods, trying to get far enough away from the deatheaters to apparate. Spells and curses were flying everywhere. Hermione was so far ahead that she could have gotten away. She could have escaped…but Neville had tripped and fell and she had come back for him. She should have just left him there. It should have been him that was taken, not her. Another tear slipped down his cheek. Days later, they had found her wondering through the woods. Her mind had been broken, and Neville had instantly recognized the symptoms. Bellatrix Lestrange had done the same thing to his parents. There was a warning carved into Hermione's flesh. They had made an example of her for any other mudbloods or bloodtraitors who dared to defy you-know-who. Hermione would never be ok again, and it was all his fault. Luna was right. Following through with Hermione's plan was the least they could do to honor her.

Neville watched in silence as Luna finished the spell and a bright light began to glow where the potions book touched Snape's chest. Luna stood up and stood back as the light engulfed him, bringing the color back to his pale cheeks. The light faded. For a moment, Luna was terrified that she had failed.

"Please help me, mom…" She whispered desperately.

Snape's hand twitched. His eyes opened.

* * *

Hours later, Snape sat at the edge of a clearing with his back to a small campfire and the wizards and witches huddled around it. They whispered, and although Snape couldn't make out the words from this far away, he knew their whispers were about him. Ever since he had followed Lovegood and Longbottom here, they had, with little subtlety attempted to "read" him. They all wanted to know the same thing- deatheater or order member? In truth he was neither. Not anymore. He glanced up as Lovegood settled on the ground next to him. She met his gaze for a moment before looking down at her hands.

"If one more person asks me if I'm alright, I will hex them all the way back to Hogwarts." He warned.

"They mean well," Luna offered with a small smile.

"Asking a question one already knows the answer to won't change the answer." He retorted.

"That's true," Luna agreed. "I suppose, what they really want to know is whether you're sane enough to help us."

"Or betray you." Snape countered, glancing back at the masses huddled around the fire.

"I don't believe you will betray us." Luna answered quietly, "I don't think I ever really believed you were a deatheater at all."

"How could you possibly know that?" He asked, studying her.

Luna shrugged, "You protected us, even after Dumbledore was gone. Deatheaters don't protect. They destroy."

He was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke again. "It won't be easy, what you're asking me to do. More will die before this is over. You could die. You're not a muggleborn, Lovegood. If you chose to, you and Longbottom could leave and start a life somewhere else."

"So could you," Luna pointed out, "but you won't, and neither will we. We know now what you've known all along."

"Which is?" Snape lifted an eyebrow at her.

"If we run, the nightmares and guilt will follow us. The war will be against ourselves rather than against you-know-who. It won't end until you-know-who is dead, or we never have to wake up without the people we love again. Whichever comes first, we're ready for it. We all are."


End file.
